Rawhide reinforce for harness



No. 626,196. Patented ma 30, I899.

.1. L. Tnomsou.

RAWHIDE REINFURCE FOR HARNESS, 8m.

(Application filed June 11, 1896.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JUDSON L. THOMSON, OF WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN OANFIELD, OF BOSTON,- MASSACHUSETTS.

RAWHIDE REINFORCE FOR HARNESS, 80c.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,196, dated May 30, 1899.

Application filed June 11,1896. Serial No. 695,101. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JUDSON L. THOMSON, of VValtham, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rawhide Reinforces for Harness, &c. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to harness and other leather-work having orifices adapted to receive some part, such as a bolt or pinas, for instance, the ends of traces the front end being adapted to receive the hame-bolts, while the rear ends are slotted to engage the whiffletree hooks or chains; and the object of the invention is to provide a reinforce for the eye of such part of the harness or other piece of leather-work to reduce the wear both of the leather part and of the metal part engaged therewith, the reinforce preventing heating of the leather by the movement of the leather on the metal.

To these ends the invention consists in the construct-ion and combination of parts, substantially as herein described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, the figure represents a side elevation of a leather loop provided with my improvement.

As is well known, the ordinary tanned leather is not as durable as rawhide, and my invention contemplates the employment of rawhide to reduce the wear on tanned leather. I accomplish this in the form indicated in the drawing by means of a strip of rawhide a, forming a lining for the compound tannedleather loop I), the upper, and lower portions of which are indicated as united by rivets 0, one of which is shown as 'passin g through the edges of the strip of rawhide.

In the drawing, d indicates the bolt or pin the wear on which is to be reduced or obviated by means of the rawhide lining or strip a.

In the use of my invention, as indicated in the drawing, it will be seen that the rawhide is completely concealed from view, and yet is so located as to reinforce the leather and reduce the wear of both the leather and the metal with which it is engaged.

The rawhide which I employ is dried untanned skin, and hence retains all the animal oil of the leather. This rawhide is not adapted to be penetrated by a needle, but may be secured in place by drivingthe rivets 0 directly through it, or it may be previously punched prior to the insertion of the rivet, and owing to the rivets passing directly through the rawhide and the inclosing pieces of tanned leather the former is firmly held and is prevented from becoming twisted out of position or otherwise displaced by the friction on the metallic part to which it is connected in use.

The portion of the rawhide strip that bears on the bolt or other metal with which it is engaged may be considered as forming a selflubricating bearing, the natural oil in the rawhide, which has never been removed by processes employed in connection with tanned leather, causing it to constantlylubricate the metal part against which it bears. At the same time this rawhide strip, being employed in connection with a tanned-leather strip, forms a flexible loop or eye, which is noiseless and which is adapted to adjust itself to the shape and size of the bolt or pin or to any inequality thereof. Furthermore, owing to the fact that the strip of rawhide is rigidly attached to the tanned leather, the tensile strength of the rawhide is added to that of the tanned leather and greatly increases the durability of the traces or other article.

I claim The combination with a plurality of layers of tanned leather, of a strip of dried untanned rawhide riveted betweensaid layers and extending entirely around an opening for the part with which the leather is engaged and adapted to receive the wear of said part, said rawhide being rigid relatively to the tanned leather, and the said tanned leather affording a yielding support for the rawhide.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 4th day of June, A. D. 1896.

Jonson L. THOMSON.

W'itnesses:

O. F. BROWN, A. D. HARRISON. 

